Trip Report
Hotline - 9.8.12
Sunday September 9, 2012 2:34pm
Chase and I had a great outing on Hotline yesterday. Even in the shade, we were surprised it was so warm and humid feeling. For the first pitch, we used the intermediate belay that shows in the topo. Next time I would run the first two pitches together. The crack crux on the second pitch felt pretty reasonable until I reached the traverse rail itself. As soon as my fingers felt that rail I knew I was screwed for the onsight. After a few tries I ended up tensioning across. I'm still wondering if I should have just tried to "walk the plank" on that rail. Chase looked like he was going to float the traverse and then his foot popped and he was off as well. It's hard! We took the left hand variation for the last pitch to avoid the bombay chimney. We both ended up pulling on some gear on that one as well. All in all a great outing on the elephant though !

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Out of the trees
Out of the trees
Credit: David Wilson
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top of pitch one
top of pitch one
Credit: David Wilson
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looking up crux pitch
looking up crux pitch
Credit: David Wilson
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crux pitch
crux pitch
Credit: David Wilson
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about to traverse
about to traverse
Credit: David Wilson
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on the rail
on the rail
Credit: David Wilson
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pitch 3 - what dreams are made of
pitch 3 - what dreams are made of
Credit: David Wilson
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pitch 3
pitch 3
Credit: David Wilson
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pitch 4
pitch 4
Credit: David Wilson
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pitch 5
pitch 5
Credit: David Wilson
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pitch 6
pitch 6
Credit: David Wilson
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pitch 6
pitch 6
Credit: David Wilson
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obligatory summit shot
obligatory summit shot
Credit: David Wilson
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  Trip Report Views: 6,591
David Wilson
About the Author
David Wilson is a climber from CA.

Comments
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Sep 9, 2012 - 02:40pm PT
Looks like a Stellar line, Thanks for sharing!!
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
On the road.
  Sep 9, 2012 - 02:41pm PT
Awesome route, thanks for the photos.
The Alpine

climber
The Sea
  Sep 9, 2012 - 02:44pm PT
Bravo!
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Sep 9, 2012 - 02:50pm PT
I still remember how awesome that route was, despite it being so long ago. I have Clint to thank for leading every pitch so that I could enjoy a great line that was beyond what I could have gotten the rope on. Thanks for the memories!
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Sep 9, 2012 - 02:58pm PT
woo hoo, nice work on a classic!
Wheels and I climbed that in the mid eighties, stellar memories!
msiddens

Trad climber
  Sep 9, 2012 - 03:08pm PT
Such an incredible line
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Sep 9, 2012 - 04:59pm PT
Looks awesome!!
Alexey

climber
San Jose, CA
  Sep 9, 2012 - 05:37pm PT
David, thanks for report.
please tell more about 11d small roof variation. Did not try it but we did 10d flare original route instead. It was so hard and bloody painful- that I think you made a good choice.
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Sep 9, 2012 - 06:50pm PT
"What dreams are made of..."

Speechless. What an amazing crack.
martygarrison

Trad climber
Washington DC
  Sep 9, 2012 - 07:02pm PT
Love the pics! thanks!
Peter Haan

Trad climber
Wyoming
  Sep 9, 2012 - 07:12pm PT
Thanks David and Chase. Terrific climb. I bet you two do it again also.
Jerry Dodrill

climber
@dodrillphoto
  Sep 9, 2012 - 07:53pm PT
Amazing line! Way to go.
WBraun

climber
  Sep 9, 2012 - 09:33pm PT
This pitch is called the Cozgrovell variation as Coz was kind of grovelling following me over that roof on the FA. (wicked bad jams)

It's much harder I think to follow than lead.


In this photo below the crack on the left is the finger crack variation me and Merry did.


mctwisted

Trad climber
e.p.
  Sep 9, 2012 - 09:47pm PT
great pics guys! stoked
klk

Trad climber
cali
  Sep 9, 2012 - 10:42pm PT
wow, looks great
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  Sep 9, 2012 - 10:53pm PT
quality, well done.
Reeotch

climber
4 Corners Area
  Sep 9, 2012 - 11:02pm PT
God, I love Yosemite cracks!

Werner, what does that finger crack variation go at???
Kalimon

Social climber
Ridgway, CO
  Sep 9, 2012 - 11:26pm PT
Way to get after it you guys . . . nice photos.
Ihateplastic

Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
  Sep 10, 2012 - 12:22am PT
This route is about as fantastic as they get. I mean, look at this crack!


When Ron and John nailed the FFA it was a turning point in the Valley.
WBraun

climber
  Sep 10, 2012 - 12:26am PT
Easy free solo too ....
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
  Sep 10, 2012 - 12:59am PT
Cool. Always lusted at that thing from afar but never got around to it and now might be too old for her. THanks for showing it up close

Fatal Mistake always looked delicious from the Cookie but found it a little disappointing at close range

Peace

Karl
Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
  Sep 10, 2012 - 02:20am PT
Yeah, that 5.12 traverse is a total sandbag. More like solid .12+ IMO.

The sandbag rating pales in comparison to the sandbag of the .10d flare. The 5.11d hands variation seems like the easier way to go.

Nice TR.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
  Sep 10, 2012 - 03:01am PT
Third pitch sans dudes. (Shout out to jsb!!!)
Photo from Mike M's thread on the longest pure hands cracks.
Good pix!
tarek

climber
berkeley
  Sep 10, 2012 - 04:19am PT
Nice one David and Chase.

Yeah, that 5.12 traverse is a total sandbag. More like solid .12+ IMO. The sandbag rating pales in comparison to the sandbag of the .10d flare.

Here's a classic "but":
12a traverse didn't feel so bad...after hanging just before it.
Sloping crystals in the heat--could seem 12+ after leading the 11d.
1 long first pitch is the way to go. Kinda a pita setting that belay and then sharing it when you could just recover there and continue.

Yeah, the 10d flare sandbag. I'd followed it and fallen a few years before I lead it. That made it worse. Didn't fall, but it was a full-on bear-down scare fest for me. Small steps, pro too far left from where you are chimneying, bad flake below you. Small steps, as back foot feels like it will blow off overhanging wall.
RP3

Big Wall climber
Newbury Park
  Sep 10, 2012 - 09:49am PT
Amazing stuff! Thanks for the psyche!
em kn0t

Trad climber
isle of wyde
  Sep 10, 2012 - 10:39am PT
Bold and proud! Your photos give a real feel for the moves and beautiful clean cracks. Is it just my chicken-geezer-wimp perspective or did you both do some pretty long runouts, by choice?
Doug Robinson

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
  Sep 10, 2012 - 10:38am PT
Beautiful!

You guys are getting a lot of climbing in. Good to see.
David Wilson

climber
CA
Author's Reply  Sep 10, 2012 - 12:51pm PT
Alexey,
Werner's variation was glory hands up to under the roof where there's a huge jug. Then it was a few more good hands to some wide rattley hands at the lip. To turn the lip you need to burl up into some 1 1/4" ( green ) jambs with a few small feet on the arette to the right. It's kinda punchy. I think the fact that we both had missed the onsight on pitch 2 took a little steam off our efforts on this pitch. We both grabbed and pulled over the lip.

Funny that Werner says it's harder to follow. I think that's because the rope gets sucked into the jambs and is a bitch to move aside for the follower.

Next time I go for the bombay desperado. I was warned off that one, but it sounds like a character builder.

Em, definitely some run outs. That third hands pitch is like 130 feet of gold camelots. On and on it goes.
bob

climber
  Sep 10, 2012 - 12:52pm PT
I remember Jake Whittaker and Charlie B. went up there and they thought the 10d flare thingy you avoided was the crux of the route for them.

Maybe either of them will share their thoughts on this?

Thanks for posting!

Bob Jensen
nutjob

Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
  Sep 10, 2012 - 12:54pm PT
This looks glorious!
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Sep 10, 2012 - 01:42pm PT
Next time I go for the bombay desperado

Though not as difficult as billed, that was my favorite lead on the climb! Glad it was my turn
G Murphy

Trad climber
Oakland CA
  Sep 10, 2012 - 01:48pm PT
An awesome route, for sure. Nice job up there.
tarek

climber
berkeley
  Sep 11, 2012 - 02:11am PT
yeah, I guess it's not a sandbag--that double flare. It's 10d chimney, enough said. The wider you go, the worse the pro because it's lateral to you. You squirm up and place a piece, go down and out and start chimneying. It's really short, measured in distance. Not so short measured by # of foot placements. You'll style it.
Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
  Sep 11, 2012 - 02:48am PT
No, it's sandbagged. .10d chimneys are easy, so are .10d offwidths and fist cracks for that matter. That .10d flare was hard.

I don't know, maybe its just weird or that it was in the high 80's. But we climbed Cream the day before and I felt it's probably the softest .11 in the valley.
WBraun

climber
  Sep 11, 2012 - 11:09am PT
Cream is only rated 10d and pretty straight forward.

The flared chimney on Hotline is a technical masterpiece.

One really needs to know how to free climb to do it.

You can't fake this one.

This goes to show that ratings are only a ballpark expression to give one a rudimentary idea of what one might encounter.
Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
  Sep 11, 2012 - 11:30am PT
Has anyone really walked across that hand traverse on pitch 1? For real? I mean the holds are good for the feet but it's steep as sh#t right there.

JL
David Wilson

climber
CA
Author's Reply  Sep 11, 2012 - 01:24pm PT
John, I stepped over onto the dike and I suspect it is walkable but a total shakey jake with no holds. I think Tarbuster said he walked it on another thread. So far everyone I know has crimped the rail.

I wish I'd taken a better pic of the bombay desperado. This is the best I have.


le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Sep 11, 2012 - 02:52pm PT
One day at the Cookie this spring I met a guy who caught me staring over admiringly as one will do from the Cookie, with that great view from there.

I asked him if he'd been on it, and it turns out that just the day before he'd dropped a 600 ft static down the Hotline and mini'd it! I think he maybe fixed a 70m from the top to an anchor, then fixed the 600 ft beast.
Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
  Sep 15, 2012 - 11:48pm PT
Thanks for the TR, its the first I've seen on this route and the photos bring it alive.

I haven't seen those cracks since Dale and I went up to try to free it before it went. Didn't get too far on the traverse that day, but damn, that whole thing is fantastic climb. I was never so glad for a top rope as when I followed Dale up that bombay chimney. Dale cruised it, of course.
RyanD

climber
  Oct 29, 2012 - 08:20pm PT
Bump an awesome TR if u see one! This climb looks incredible, thanks for sharing!
rincon

climber
Coarsegold
  Oct 29, 2012 - 08:40pm PT
Looks killer!

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
sawatch choss
  Oct 29, 2012 - 08:41pm PT
One of the best! thanks for all the insights from the BITD crew.
Zander

climber
  Oct 30, 2012 - 12:02am PT
Yeah, great thread and TR.
Z
Technogeekery

Trad climber
Sydney, Australia
  Oct 30, 2012 - 12:24am PT
great looking route! thanks for the tr
wee man

Trad climber
truckee ca
  Oct 30, 2012 - 11:57pm PT
Great TR david and cool pics , thanks for posting
snowhazed

Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
  Nov 5, 2012 - 08:09pm PT
Hotdamn!!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Sep 26, 2014 - 11:07am PT
Bump!
hashbro

Trad climber
Mental Physics........
  Sep 26, 2014 - 11:34am PT
Brilliant photos guys.....can't wait to do the route.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Oct 5, 2014 - 08:58am PT

Great climbing
big

Wait for it
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Sep 27, 2014 - 05:43am PT
bump bump
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Sep 27, 2014 - 06:08am PT
Maahaan, I wanna go do it again!!
Norman Claude

climber
  Sep 27, 2014 - 07:13am PT
David

I walked it, leading, with Vern in August '85. I watched Kauk and Bacher do the first free and they hand traversed. Of course they could do anything they pleased.

Dusting of snow last night starting at 10,000'. Time for the Gorge.

C
peter croft

climber
  Sep 28, 2014 - 06:07am PT
One of the Valley's very best! Some say the first 5.12 there - some say Fish Crack. Not sure which came first but I know Hotline could eat Fish Crack for breakfast. And Werner's got his name all over it, too. He also did the second pitch variation left of the handcrack. Another beauty. Did that one once linking the first into that with a 70 meter - had just enough rope to pull up stretch and clove hitch in. So good I haven't bought a 60 meter since.
First time I ever did the whole route, though, was with Walt Dembitzky. He's a famous heart surgeon who travels round the world lecturing on the latest way to do transplants and stuff like that. Anyway, he hadn't climbed in well over a year but apart from tensioning the face crux just cruises the thing. On the wild flare he follows in half the time I took which flabbergasts me. He shrugs and says it was probably easier for him cause he's shorter. Yeah, rub it in - he's making excuses for me being so slow!
Then, back at the parking lot Walt insists I take the wheel in his black Porsche and on the drive back keeps urging me to faster. On one tight turn he sees me easing up and leans over with his foot and stomps on the gas - man, we rode that hairpin on a rail! What a day, getting schooled by a guy who swaps hearts for a living.
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Sep 28, 2014 - 10:51pm PT
f*#kin-A man. good stories.
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Sep 28, 2014 - 11:03pm PT
This thread made my palms sweaty.
ryankelly

climber
Bhumi
  Sep 29, 2014 - 09:09pm PT
bump for "rock climbing" content
dhayan

climber
culver city, ca
  Sep 29, 2014 - 10:12pm PT
This is the best of supertopo right here, thanks for sharing everyone. What an amazing looking line...and you get rewarded with that glorious hand crack. Walking that dike looks crazy. I hope this tr is on the first page for a while with more info, stories and anecdotes...can't wait to try hotline!!
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
  Sep 30, 2014 - 08:20am PT
bump
CrackAddict

Trad climber
Canoga Park, CA
  Sep 30, 2014 - 04:34pm PT
Haha "rail" is being extremely generous... that thing pretty much disappears for 4 feet! Someone told me a long time ago you could foot traverse it at 5.10d, it looked pretty improbable to me though!

Definitely some of the best crack pitches in the park!
Touque

Trad climber
Santacruzcalif
  Mar 4, 2019 - 03:15pm PT
Thanks for the memories I did this with Ron before he and John freed it Great climb one of the .
Norman Claude

climber
  Mar 5, 2019 - 05:49pm PT
Answer to Mister Long. Climbed this masterpiece with Mister Clevenger in August 1985 and I led/foot traversed the crux. I saw no way to make the "rapid fire traverse" as Mister Kauk called it. What a time! Before, during and after.

Thanks David!

Touque, is that you Tony L.?
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